Nonstick pans and cooking utensils that won't scratch them are a must-have

If you dream of making your own spice blends, you need a coffee grinder

When you're ready to up your flavor game and don't mind spending a little time on care, move up to cast iron

There are few things more universally-comforting than delicious food smells coming from your kitchen. Knowing that you'll soon be eating those mouth-watering treats is a close second.

But first, you have to make the food. To do that, you'll need a few key tools to set you up for success. INSIDER spoke with some chefs to gather all the information you need to know on the everyday essential items you should have in your kitchen.

"My go-to knife is a Misono UX10," Chef Soleil Ho told INSIDER. One great feature of the Misono UX10 is that it's available in both left- and right-handed versions. Be aware that not all knives are ambidextrous, so you should shop carefully if you're left-handed.

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A sharp set of kitchen shears

Make sure they're sharp.
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As with knives, not all kitchen shears are created equal. Choose a pair that stays sharp for a reasonably long period of time, and also comes apart for easy cleaning. Most professional knife sharpening services can handle your good kitchen shears as well when they start to get dull.

"You can cut up nori, peel and devein shrimp, and way more with them," Chef Ho told INSIDER.

They're also great for quickly snipping fresh herbs of all kinds. You don't need special multi-bladed herb scissors, either; a regular good set of kitchen shears does the job nicely.

A set of three cutting boards

Without a doubt, one of the most important tools in your kitchen for good food safety and sanitation is separate cutting boards.

You need one cutting board reserved for raw meat. A separate board for vegetables and bread is also a good idea. So why do you need a third? Strongly-flavored foods.

"Cutting strawberries on a board after cutting onions or garlic is a terrible idea," Chef Alex Tishman told Outside Online.

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Nonstick pans & safe cooking utensils for those pans

Nonstick is a great investment.
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If you want to cook your food on the stovetop without having it stick, you need at least a couple of good nonstick pans. They're absolutely essential for cooking eggs, and they're incredibly helpful for potentially sticky things like pasta as well.

If you're investing in a set of nonstick pans, you want to take care of their surfaces so they stay nonstick. Silicone or bamboo cooking utensils are essential. Don't use metal ones unless you want to scratch your pans and ruin their nonstick coating. Also, don't ever scrub these pans with anything harsh, like a green scrubbing pad or brush.

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A mini food processor

You don't wanna have to lug out a giant food processor.
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So you want to quickly puree things, but have little-to-no counter or storage space for a huge blender or food processor? That's why smaller food processors exist.

"No need to commit to a giant processor," Chef Carolina Wang of EatGoodNYC told INSIDER. "These are great for sauce, guac, and salsa," she added.

Their light weight and diminutive sizes also make them a much less daunting proposition when it comes to both cleaning and storage.

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An immersion blender

Also called a stick blender, this handy small electric appliance can make your life a lot easier — or your kitchen a lot messier if you don't use it with caution. Master its power and you can have all the creamy soups you've ever dreamed about at your fingertips.

"[These are] great for soups and smoothies and mixing," Chef Wang told INSIDER.

To keep from making a mess, make sure the mixer end is fully submerged in your liquid before you turn it on. If it's only half-submerged, you and your kitchen will end up wearing more food than you eat.

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Accurate measuring cups and spoons

Make sure they're accurate.
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Using a good digital scale is the most accurate way to measure ingredients. You probably already know this if you're a baker.

Weight will always be more consistent than volume, because the volume of ingredients can change based on whether they've settled or compressed along the way. Here's a good example: How many times have you seen "1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed" listed in a recipe? Your definition and your grandma's definition of "firmly packed" may not equal the same amount, which can lead to measuring problems.

Still, most cookbooks and recipes still list measurements by volume, using cups and spoons. What's a home cook to do?